I like weird. In fact, I'm weird, and I don't give a ***** if others think
it's a bad thing. I guess it's all in how you look at it. Either it matters
to you, or it doesn't.
Do what you want, be who you want to be, just as long as you don't hurt
anybody.

"simian" <monkeyman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9542B98617819monkeymanyahoocom@68.1.17.6...

I was weird in school: I always wore sweat pants. Never wore jeans. I
remember being in kindergarten and wearing jeans, and having this itch on
my leg that I simply couldn't scratch because the denim was just too damn
thick.

Anyway, holy *****, did I catch a LOT of heat (that is to say,
ostracization--is that a word?, insults, etc.) for always wearing
sweatpants. It was different. It was weird. So to people, it was wrong.

More recently, at work during tax season last year, I would drink a can
of soda each day, but rather than put the empty cans in a recycling bin,
I built them into a large pyramid in the corner of my cubicle.

I ended up being called into an early evaluation by my bosses, who were
distressed by my abnormal behavior.

We just had a big storm in the area. I was talking to a friend of mine
(who works nearby) and she was telling me about one of her coworkers and
how, during the storm, a new employee at her firm went out in the driving
rain and did some kind of performance (pantomime) while getting drenched.
She said "oh, he's so funny! Everybody in the firm loves him."

Frankly, what he did sounds idiotic to me. Kind of the obvious class
clown behavior one expects to see exhibited by grade-schoolers than
professionals.

So I was wondering: is being weird a good thing or a bad thing? Is it
supposed to get one branded a freak or will it endear people? While
weird, is my problem that I was always subtly, naturally weird and not
overtly, attention-seekingly weird?

Should I start going to work with a lampshade on my head?

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 22:14:15 GMT, simian <monkeyman@yahoo.com> wrote:

I was weird in school: I always wore sweat pants. Never wore jeans. I
remember being in kindergarten and wearing jeans, and having this itch on
my leg that I simply couldn't scratch because the denim was just too damn
thick.

Anyway, holy *****, did I catch a LOT of heat (that is to say,
ostracization--is that a word?, insults, etc.) for always wearing
sweatpants. It was different. It was weird. So to people, it was wrong.

More recently, at work during tax season last year, I would drink a can
of soda each day, but rather than put the empty cans in a recycling bin,
I built them into a large pyramid in the corner of my cubicle.

I ended up being called into an early evaluation by my bosses, who were
distressed by my abnormal behavior.

We just had a big storm in the area. I was talking to a friend of mine
(who works nearby) and she was telling me about one of her coworkers and
how, during the storm, a new employee at her firm went out in the driving
rain and did some kind of performance (pantomime) while getting drenched.
She said "oh, he's so funny! Everybody in the firm loves him."

Frankly, what he did sounds idiotic to me. Kind of the obvious class
clown behavior one expects to see exhibited by grade-schoolers than
professionals.

So I was wondering: is being weird a good thing or a bad thing? Is it
supposed to get one branded a freak or will it endear people? While
weird, is my problem that I was always subtly, naturally weird and not
overtly, attention-seekingly weird?

Should I start going to work with a lampshade on my head?

Originality sometimes gets branded as weird. Particularly in
highschool. Of course there are those in highschool who seek out
"weird" and end up looking like all those other "weirdos" -- so they
aren't really weird, as they fit in with a group of kids who seek not
to fit in.

I work with a lady who's been branded as "off", "weird", "a little
different". Why? Because she insists on wearing "chucks" with her
dresses (and everything else) and she doesn't shave her legs. I
personally admire her faith in herself to be what she is without
apology. She dresses for economy and comfort. Fortunately we work in
an environment in which formality is ... well... formality. I can't
wait for the company holiday party. I gotta see this lady in Formal
Wear. Do they make rhinestone studded chucks?

I think wierd is a matter of attitude. If you are genuine, you
probably get branded as wierd. I'd rather spend an evening with
someone who knows who they are and isn't ashamed of it, than someone
who fits all the norms, but is uncomfortable in thier skin. I really
can't deal with phonies. Be who you are - but like who you are. If
you don't like who you are, it won't matter how "normal" you behave.

I work with a lady who's been branded as "off", "weird", "a little
different". Why? Because she insists on wearing "chucks" with her
dresses (and everything else) and she doesn't shave her legs. I
personally admire her faith in herself to be what she is without
apology. She dresses for economy and comfort. Fortunately we work in
an environment in which formality is ... well... formality. I can't
wait for the company holiday party. I gotta see this lady in Formal
Wear. Do they make rhinestone studded chucks?

simian wrote:

So I was wondering: is being weird a good thing or a bad thing? Is it
supposed to get one branded a freak or will it endear people? While
weird, is my problem that I was always subtly, naturally weird and not
overtly, attention-seekingly weird?

Depends on your definition of weird doesnt it. Always wearing sweat pants
does not strike me as weird. Pretty bloody normal in fact. Here in my
country some of our kid's winter school uniforms are combination track pants
and sweat shirts. No problem there, I dont find your stacking up your drink
cans as weird either, shows a certain laziness and definately unsanitary
but not weird., after all the dregs in your cans could attract ants, flies
and other nasty crawling insects. I am surprised your cleaning staff did not
dispose of them.

As far as dancing in the rain, not weird, I know lots of

people who do it, myself included. Although I have to admit I dont so much
dance in the rain, but stand in it and lift my face to the sky so I can feel
the rain falling on my face.

Now what is weird to me, is problably more bizarre to anyone else. Forcing
an oral thermometer down the eye of your penis into your uretha and then
snapping it in half is weird.

Growing your hair so long that it covers your
face and looking like Cousin Itt from the Adamms family, is weird.

Injecting
yourself with scotch is pretty weird (IV injection)

I have known people who
have done these kinds of things, so no I dont consider you weird in the
slightest.

simian wrote:

What's the HS Thompson line? "When the going gets tough, the tough get
weird," or somthing like that?

Anyway. Yes. Weird is good.